Kept in the 14th century monastery in Czestochowa, The Holy Icon of Black Madonna attracts millions of pilgrims each year making the city, next to Lourdes and Fatima, one of the largest pilgrimage centres in Europe. We visit the monastery step by step revealing the history of the place that has become the symbol of the Polish culture and the Catholic religion.
According to the tradition, the Holy Icon of the Black Madonna was painted by St. Luke Evangelist and brought to Poland by the St. Paul’s the Hermit monastery that settled down in the 14th century in Czestochowa, on the mount known as the Bright Mount (Jasna Gora). The miraculous painting started attracting thousands of pilgrims, among them Polish kings, members of the royal family, famous knights and nobles. Jasna Gora became the symbol of the Polish history and the biggest shrine in Poland with thousands of the pilgrims coming each year. It was also visited many times by the Pope John Paul II. During our guided tour we visit the complex of the monastery: the Holy Chapel with the Black Madonna Icon, decorated with numerous votive gifts, thanksgiving for the graces; the magnificent baroque Basilica, treasury, and the museum, old fortifications with the beautiful Way of the Cross. After the tour we enjoy some free time – for personal devotions or shopping.